DENNIS SILVA II | STAFF WRITER
MISSION — Sharyland Pioneer made a substantial step forward in 2015, doubling its win total from 2014, but that progress came in spite of its offense.
The Diamondbacks won six games last year, one short of a playoff berth. The offseason was spent upgrading an offense that averaged 17.3 points on 210 yards per game.
Coach Jason Wheeler thinks his unit has done just that. In is new offensive coordinator Eddie Galindo. Galindo brings a scheme that has incorporated more of a running game, largely because personnel now allows so. And it was the new-look offense that led to the Diamondbacks’ first 7-on-7 state appearance in July, another encouraging factor.
Pioneer will still mainly work out of the one-back shotgun, but a two-back look is more of an influence now. Balance is in order.
“We’re going to establish the run, do some more play-action stuff off of it,” Wheeler said. “The deadly RPOs (run/pass option concepts) that are out there, they’re tough. When you give a false run key to an outside linebacker, and they’re throwing the ball right to where that guy left, it’s a tough scheme. It’s given us some fits defensively and I’m looking forward to giving some of our opponents fits.”
Ideally, the main difference between Pioneer’s offense this season compared to last will be tempo.
“Everything’s running real quick for them,” senior defensive back Anthony Jimenez said “More and more, they’re catching us on our heels. With them on the field, it gets us motivated to get some turnovers and give them back the ball and see what they can do.”
Last season, the Diamondbacks averaged just 103 rushing yards. They had to win games defensively. Now Wheeler is hoping athletic ballcarriers like Brandon Casas and Logan Harris are able to diversify the offense on a more consistent basis.
That will be critical for sophomore quarterback Jacob Rosales. Rosales has impressed with his development and power arm. But if a run game cannot be sustained, life will be difficult for him.
Last season, Rosales, who said the game was a bit too fast for him, relied almost exclusively on athleticism. But he’s reading coverages better and his accuracy has improved.
“We’re moving at a lot faster pace,” Rosales said. “Last year, we weren’t as close as an offense. But this year we’re more like brothers. That’s key. Everyone’s playing for each other and everyone’s more positive about the situation we’re in.”
Wheeler is also excited about the return of senior offensive linemen Fernie Perez and Adrian Benitez. Both missed 2015 because of injury. But their experience — each has played varsity ball since his sophomore year — is big. Johnny Howell, a sturdy powerball of an athlete, has been moved to left tackle from the defensive line.
The offensive line is another reason why the Diamondbacks are confident the offense will turn around.
“We have a more balanced team, and at times the offense has even had more of an upper hand on the defense,” Wheeler said. “We’re going to play good defense and we take pride there, but our defensive kids have more respect for our offensive kids because they’re taking it to them. With an offense that can score some points, we can take some chances and be more aggressive defensively.”
FAST AND LOOSE
The Diamondbacks are switching back to a 3-4 base defense from a 4-3 to complement personnel.
Pioneer lacks size on defense, but is quick and athletic. Six starters return, most in the backfield with Jimenez, Tyler Bulthuis and Albert Ruiz, among others.
Wheeler said he may blitz more because of the speed dynamic. His main objective defensively is to create turnovers and score off those takeaways.
“We’ll be pretty good again defensively,” Wheeler said of a unit that surrendered 15.9 points on 257.3 yards, “just in a different way.”
BUILDING A FOUNDATION
As Pioneer heads into its third year of varsity football, a culture is starting to come about.
“There’s a different sense of urgency, swagger, confidence, maturity,” Wheeler said. “Being a young program, that’s a plus. When I talked to the kids our first team meeting, everybody was locked in, everybody was on time. It was nice. It was good. We’ve had a lot more leadership since I’ve ever been here, and that’s exciting.”
The Diamondbacks have 25 seniors this season. Wheeler named 10 of them captains.
“It’s their last year,” he said. “Whatever legacy they want to leave, this is it. It’s important to have leadership. We owe it to send them out in class.”
Pioneer is not carrying as many kids on varsity as it has in the past. That’s intentional. Wheeler has weeded out the non-committal kids to form a base of leaders and kids who care about football.
“We’re trying to get to a higher standard that the younger guys can follow,” Jimenez said. “That’s what I’m most excited about. We want to get those younger guys out of their shell a little bit. Once we leave, they’re the ones that are coming up next.”
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PIONEER’S PROGNOSIS
Pioneer had offensive issues in 2015, and it still went 6-4 and fell only one game short of the playoffs. The Diamondbacks are betting that a new offensive look will get them to the postseason in 2016.
Projected 2016 Record: 8-3
COACH’S TENURE
Coach: Jason Wheeler
Year at school: Third
Record at Pioneer: 9-11